Welcome back to the gentleman's Gazette! In today's video, we will discuss twelve expensive
products that are worth their money. I've had all these products for years and because
of that, I know they are worth it. In this list, all those things that are either downright
expensive or things that are relatively expensive compared to other items you can get on the
market. If you've watched our videos in the past, you know that I always encourage you
to invest in quality items because quality items get better with age versus cheap items
deteriorate over time. Also, I encourage you to look at the cost per wear of an item, not
just the upfront cost, because most of the time, a quality item is less expensive in
the long run. That being said, not every expensive item has to be new, sometimes you can find
quality items that used to be expensive but you buy them used, that way, you can enjoy
the quality benefits without having to go all-in on the money.
So what are the twelve expensive items that are worth their money?
In my opinion, the first one is a large leather weekender or duffle bag. Most quality leather
bags will likely run you around $1,000 or more simply because of the high end leather.
Ideally, you want it to be leather lined without having the extra weight. I've received lots
of compliments from my leather weekender because it has a wonderful leather, it's a classic
brown tone which is nothing special, however, it is chrome tanned in Italy and has a nice
pull up effect. What that means is if I pull on the leather, it creates a different effect.
Also if I scratch it, I see a scratch mark but then if I rub on it with my finger, it
secretes some oils and the scratch mark is hardly ever visible. This kind of leather
creates a wonderful patina over time that is lived in and unique to you and the experiences
you had with your bag. I can use it when I travel over the weekend or just as a carry-on,
or simply as a bag that I bring to go to the gym. Because of the leather, this kind of
bag will be unique. No one else will have one like you and it's simply much more stylish
and elegant than a nylon bag or a canvas bag. It will also last longer and therefore, the
cost per wear is low.
The second expensive item is a pair of quality socks. At $40, it is relatively expensive
and if you go with materials like silk or cashmere, you go out to 75 or $100- $120.
Obviously, you can buy a pair of socks for $1 less, the problem is, especially over the
calf socks, is that they always slide down. On top of that the material is cheap, the
seams are thick, the socks are uncomfortable, and you have to wear them all day. It's probably
no surprise you that I'm wearing $40.00 socks from Fort Belvedere because I designed them
myself and was sick and tired of socks that would slide down so I came up with a design
of high quality yarns with socks that stayed up with the right elastics. On top of that,
I wanted two tone colors because they make it much easier to combine the socks with your
outfits and your shoes. To learn more about how to do that, please check out this guide
here. At the same time quality socks that are more expensive come in different sizes.
For example, Fort Belvedere offers four sizes so you get exactly the right fit for your
foot. Because we use a very expensive high quality long staple cotton yarns, they will
last longer, and the cost per wear is as low or lower than a cheaper pair of socks. To
check out the full selection of our socks, please check out our shop and if you buy more,
the price goes down, that way your cost per wear is even lower.
The third item that is worth its money is an overcoat. Yes, you can find overcoats for
less than 200 dollars but a quality overcoat from natural materials such as wool, or cashmere,
will run you at least a thousand dollars or more. Not only does it keep you warm during
the cold months of the year, but it's also very stylish. You can wear it on top with
a suit, a jacket, or just your regular sweater. If you buy a classic overcoat such as a duffle
coat in Ulster, or maybe a paletot, you'll get something you can wear for years to come.
In my opinion, the best value is a hundred percent wool overcoat out of a heavy wool.
If money is no object for you, go with a cashmere blend which is softer, usually not as heavy,
and it wears out more quickly. If you can just invest in one overcoat, I suggest going
with a navy or dark blue overcoat, a paletot which is very simple with a peak lapel that
is double-breasted because the extra layers keep you warm. If you're a budget, overcoats
are a great item to buy second-hand because they don't fit as snugly because of the heavy
fabric, they drape better, and they're just more forgiving than a suit would be. Basically,
all the overcoats in my collection are vintage and I was able to get quality pieces at very
low price. It ranges from a vintage Chester Barrie paletot overcoat with a velvet collar
to a British warm or just a casentino style double-breasted navy overcoat that I have
found at Bobby from Boston.
The fourth expensive item that's worth its money is a nice pair of well fitting gloves.
Usually price point wise, you have to invest between hundred fifty dollars, if you want
to go with peccary leather, we're talking more about three hundred plus dollars. First
of all, your gloves should fit tightly and it should be made of a soft glove leather
that stretches with the movements of your hands. You also want quirks between the fingers
because it increases the range of movement and makes it more comfortable. To learn more
about the glove leathers, please check out our glove leather guide here. You want them
to be finally sewn either by hand or by machine and you want something that just gets better
with age. For example, lamb Napa is really soft and very nice but it will wear out more
quickly than peccary leather which is really made to last. For example, I've had this pair
of peccary gloves for over 10 years. I would wear them outside in the winter, they got
all wet but I could wash them and dry them and they've developed a patina over the years.
They're too big and don't fit me really well that's why I decided to create my own but
overall, the leather is top-notch and that's how a peccary glove will age over time. For
a selection of quality gloves, please check out our shop here and if you want to see how
one of our gloves is made and what goes into it, please check out this guide here.
Fifth item that is worth its money is a pair of precious metal cufflinks. Price-wise, it
can range all the way from 300 dollars up to $25,000. So why should you invest in a
pair of cufflinks? It's simply one of those few jewelry items for men apart from a ring
that look very dapper, elegant, and classic. Most modern cufflinks these days are made
in China, the not made out of precious metal, they look cheap, gaudy, and they're quite
loud. On the other hand, classic cufflinks for example, knots or some with precious or
semi-precious stones as well as cloisonné enamel cufflinks are made by true artisans
and craftsmen that put all their knowledge into it and because it is made of a precious
metal, it will last you for a lifetime and you can even hand it down to your children
and grandchildren. If you invest in a piece like Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, or Tiffany,
you also pay for the brand name and their experience. How much you should invest in
a pair of cufflinks is of course entirely up to you but just a comparison; on the one
hand, you have a pair of Tiffany cufflinks in 18 karat gold, they're hollow, they're
not solid, and they cost $2,700, on the other hand, we have a pair of monkey fist knot Fort
Belvedere cufflinks, the shape was hand-carved and it's an actual rope knot and you can see
how it's nice and twisted, they're also solid and therefore much heavier than the gold cufflinks
from Tiffany's. I think both of them can be worn for a lifetime and because the plating
is so thick, it won't rub. The Fort Belvedere cufflinks only costs $325 so whether it's
worth it to spend more than $2,000 for a gold version from a brand name is again up to you
but what I am trying to explain to you is that you can find quality items that will
last and you don't always have to go with a top dollar amount to get it
The sixth item that I think you should invest in are pinkie rings. They're just a wonderful
addition to a classic gentleman's wardrobe and it's not something a lot of other people
will wear. The problem is, it's very difficult to find classic shapes in nice materials such
as sterling silver or gold on the market today. Either you have to go custom and spend several
thousand dollars on the ring or you go vintage but it costs a lot of time, you often find
lots of crappy rings. Personally, all the Rings in my collection right now are vintage,
they range from sterling silver, all the way to solid 18 karat gold and everything in between.
Because so difficult to find new ones we're currently working on them so stay tuned.
The seventh item worth investing in is a Montblanc meisterstuck fountain pen. Of course, there
are lots of other great manufacturers of fountain pens. Italian ones such as Xmas, maybe Parker,
or you name it, however, the Montblanc meisterstuck pen has been around for a very long time.
It's a very classic status symbol for many but it's also a very good item that will not
wear out prematurely. It has a nice gold nib and it writes very beautifully. At one point
in time, I owned over a hundred Montblanc fountain pens because I was a collector and
fountain pens is actually what got me into men's clothing. Today, I reduced my collection
a lot and I only have three Montblanc fountain pens; one is a meisterstuck 149 which is their
biggest flagship model and it has a 3b nib which is quite wide and use it for signatures,
another one has just a b nib and I use it to write or take notes and then have a vintage
piece which is very old, it was made out of celluloid, it had a solid brass telescope
mechanism inside versus the modern meisterstuck fountain pens are made out of resin and inside
is like a plastic lever mechanism. That being said, the old fountain pen doesn't work so
well anymore because the seal is not tight, because they used to have cork inside. The
new ones seal very well and they probably will last you for a lifetime. Interestingly
over the time, the price has steadily increased to now almost a thousand dollars. When I started,
they cost about half but even then, you could find them used on eBay the problem is, there
lots of fakes out there especially for Montblanc so I suggest you only buy from trusted sources.
Eighth item worth its money is a pair of Goodyear welted shoes. Which style you want heavily
depends on what kind of lifestyle you live. A good year welted pair of shoes is usually
made from a higher-quality leather than a glued pair of shoes. It also has a more classic
last that will stand the test of time and it can be resold which is less expensive than
buying a new pair. Now price wise, you can spend under two hundred dollars or three thousand
dollars on a pair of good year shoes, of course, the difference is the quality of the leather,
the patina, or the hand coloring, the finish, also the bottom and at the details are gonna
be much more intricate on higher-end shoes. More expensive shoes will probably have a
hand-stitched good year welt, they'll have a nice waist, and a lot more time went into
your construction of that shoe. Of course, if you spend two thousand dollars or more,
you also can get a custom Goodyear welted shoe and that's just a wonderful experience
because it really is perfectly suited to your foot and your foot alone. Is it worth spending
$3,000 over two hundred dollars? I think it's a very personal choice but if you have a foot
that works with most lasts of higher-end companies and they usually come in different widths
and different shapes, you find something that works for you, it's definitely a much better
value to go that route. That being said, it will never be as comfortable as a bespoke
shoe. to learn more about the differences in Goodyear welted shoes, please check out
this video here.
The ninth expensive item worth investing in is a quality belt. I know belts are probably
not something you might deem expensive because you can find them for $10 but you can also
find some for $3,000. In my experience, a quality belt cost upwards of about a hundred
and fifty dollars. The difference of course with quality belts is that they all have a
high-end leather material on the inside, as well as on the outside, and also on the lining.
Now, most belts today including quality belts are edge painted which means the leather is
cut on the edges and then burnished and painted to create a uniform look. The really high
quality belts are thinned out at the edges which means you need more leather and then
they're folded and sewn together. It's just a construction that lasts much longer than
an edge painted construction and it's a true hallmark of a quality leather belt. Another
detail about the quality belt is its buckle. Most belt buckles in the market today are
made of a material called zamac. It's an alloy made out of the zinc, aluminum, magnesium,
and copper, the problem is, it will age very poorly and it's scratches very easily so over
time, you have to throw your belt away even though the leather might not be worn out but
the buckle just looks crappy. Higher-end buckle is a solid brass buckle. Over time, brass
develops a patina and because of that, it's often gold plated, or platinum, or palladium
plated, for more formal dress belts that you would wear with a suit. Now the plating and
thickness of the buckle can have a huge impact not only on the longevity of the buckle, but
also on the price. In my opinion, a solid brass buckle with a nice thick coating either
gold, or palladium, is probably your best value for the money. If money is of no concern
to you, you may want to look into solid 925 sterling silver buckles or solid 14
or 18 karat gold buckles. Now that's a whole other level and the buckle itself will be
worth more than the entire belt itself. Is it worth it getting for example, a sterling
silver buckle versus a solid brass and pay three or four hundred dollars more? It depends
it's a true luxury item and silver just develops a patina that you won't see on a plated brass
buckle.
The 10th expensive item I would invest in is a professional camera. I know most people
today use cellphones and they think they are pro cameras but they're actually not. A pro
level camera has a large sensor, it allows you to get a wonderful depth of field which
means the amount is in sharpness versus the out-of-focus areas; just creates a very beautiful
look and in combination with the increased sharpness and the color rendition, it's just
a very different experience. Personally, I use DSLR cameras such as the Nikon d80 or
a Nikon d 500. It has the advantage that it comes with interchangeable lenses but overall,
you need to invest between about five to ten thousand dollars to get a nice DSLR with a
range of lenses that allow you to basically photograph everything you want. In my opinion,
it's totally worth it because with a business where I use it but even for just personal
use, I would recommend to invest in a more upscale camera. Of course, if you're rich,
you want the very best in quality, you have to go with a medium format digital camera
such as a Hasselblad, however, bear in mind that these pictures oftentimes have a hundred
megapixels so you need a whole ecosystems of computers, cards, and everything that work
together, so you can develop a workflow and actually get those pictures. It's more something
for a pro photographer, not something for an amateur.
The 11th item is a wallet. A wallet is something you wear everyday, you pull it out when you
maybe pay for a business meal, and overall, it develops a nice patina if it's made of
quality letter. A cheap wallet on the other hand just falls apart and it looks older.
In my opinion, a wallet should always be an attractive item that you like wearing, that
has a nice touch, a nice feel, and it's something that lasts. Let's say you invest $285 in a
Fort Belvedere wallet which is made of the highest quality leather there is in Germany,
if you break it down to the cost per wear, you probably end up of 5 to 15 cents a day
depending on how you treat it and how long it would last you.
The 12th expensive item that I think is worth investing money in is your smartphone. Personally,
I use my smartphone every day. I do lots of business dealings with it and because of that.
I always buy the top model when it comes out and then I'll use it for two years. At that
point, I can sell it for 200 bucks or pass it on to a relative. For example, just here
today I bought the new pixel 2 XL phone; with taxes and everything included, it costs me
over a thousand bucks, however if I can use it for two years and I break it down, it costs
me only about a dollar and 40 per day. Personally, I'd love to buy a modular phone so I could
do exactly what I want without creating too much waste because as you know, with the technological
advances in the smartphone market, we've new things coming out every month almost and because
of that, we have a lot of old phones that are just discarded which is a huge waste and
a big ecological problem. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a more eco-friendly option
out there so you have to stick with what it is. Why do I go with a Google phone rather
than iPhone? I'm just not part of the Apple ecosystem, we use a lot of Google products,
and it simply works for us. Also, I like the fact that it doesn't come with any kind of
bloatware such as on Samsung, LG's, or Huawei where security and other updates are necessary,
Google phones usually receive them first.
What are expensive items that you think are worth the money? Please share in the comments
below.
Today I'm wearing a classic fall outfit which consists of a three button single breasted
tweed coat in a nice chocolate color I found that one vintage and pairing it with a burgundy
vest and a red striped shirt the tie is a silk knit tie from Fort Belvedere you can
find it in our shop here same is true for my silk wool pocket square and my cufflinks
I chose gold monkey fist knot cufflinks because they're classic and they work well with my
knit tie as well as the buttons on my waistcoat because I have a louder vest pocket square
I went with just plain Navy corduroy pants which are typical for fall
winter outfits I combined them with brown jodhpur boots and you want to learn more about
boots please check out the guide on our website here socks I'm wearing are likewise Fort belvedere
they're the blue and red ones but you can hardly see them when you have boots I like
them because they go over the calf they stay up and keep me warm and dressy all day to
add a little something special to my outfit I went with a pinky ring which is a nice green
tourmaline and I also added a boutonniere flower which is an Edelweiss from Fort Belvedere
and you can find it here
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